The invention relates to a siding or roofing strip or slat assembly and more particularly to an interlocking slat assembly utilizing a hinge-forming groove for isolating the panel portion of the assembly from distortions and deformations produced in the fastening strip and building surface from the excessive application of force to the fastening elements and the like.
The prior art teaches many different types of interlocking siding sheets for protectively and/or decoratively covering the inside and/or outside walls of a building or the trim portions thereof. Similarly, the prior art teaches many different types of interlocking roofing strips or shingles adapted to be secured to the roof portion of a building in a partially overlapping manner, one above the other.
The prior art siding or roofing strips or slat assemblies which are capable of interlocking are often relatively complex structures which are relatively expensive to make and difficult to install and maintain. Most of the siding or roofing strips of the prior art becomes loose with age or through exposure to variations in the weather since both of these conditions may result in expansions and contractions of the siding or roofing strips themselves, of the fastening elements used to anchor the strips, and/or of the material from which the surface of the building being covered is made.
When roofing or siding strips become loose, they can fall off leaving an unsightly blemish and an unprotected area on the previously covered surface of the building. Water or the like may run under the roofing or siding and into the house causing property damage. Another major problem of the prior art siding or roofing strips is that of noise. When the roofing and/or siding strips became loose, even a gentle breeze could cause a whistling or rattling of the strips much to the annoyance of the inhabitants of the building and those in the immediate vicinity thereof.
None of the roofing and/or siding strips of the prior art, which are commercially feasible when cost considerations are taken into account, provide a means to prevent the slat assemblies from coming loose with age and exposure to the elements and none provide means whereby the strip may automatically compensate for expansions and contractions. One solution to these problems was suggested in my co-pending application, U.S. Ser. No. 762,847, entitled "SELF-COMPENSATING SIDING OR ROOFING STRIP", which was filed on Jan. 27, 1977 and another solution was suggested in my co-pending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 801,229, entitled "SELF-COMPENSATING TWO-PIECE SIDING OR ROOFING SLAT", which was filed on May 27, 1977. Both of these patent applications are incorporated by reference herein.
A further problem which does not find a solution in the prior art is that of buckling or other undesirable distortions or disfigurations caused in the siding panel when the fastening tab or nailing tab and/or the building surface to which it is attached, for example, a 5/8 inch foam insulation board, may be crushed or deformed when excessive nailing pressure is applied to the fastening elements used to secure the nailing tab to the surface. This may cause the building surface to crush, the nailing tab to deform, or otherwise cause an unevening of the supporting surface for the siding thereby causing the panel portion of the slat assembly to buckle or otherwise assume an irregular and undesirable shape and appearance.
The present invention eliminates most of the deficiencies of the prior art and specifically eliminates or at least minimizes the problems caused by the excessive application of nailing pressure by providing a hinge-forming groove intermediate the nailing tab and panel for protectively isolating the panel from buckling and the other undesirable effects of excessive nailing pressure.